Seven criminals that look like walking crayons are recruited to fill in the suspiciously newly vacant positions in the Shinsengumi, a group tasked with protecting the shogun and maintaining peace. Like a lot of other original anime, Bucchigire initially falls into the trap of introducing a bunch of characters at the same time and expecting us to care about them. However, several of these crayon characters have compelling stories. And even if they don’t, at least they’re funny; the main character’s hair looks like that yakuza from Shaman King, and his name is literally Ichibanboshi. Also, I like how they modify their swords RWBY-style. The sword is also a gun, or an electric staff! And the gun is also a sword!
Flashbacks have red and cyan triangles (think of 3D glasses) as side panels, which is off-putting. It’s like weird curtains for a rakugo show. Given the samurai-era setting, it’s not a bad idea, but the color scheme doesn’t match that vibe. It’s especially weird when the flashbacks involve little kids watching violence or some other sad backstory.
Bucchigire may not be a good anime in terms of plot or writing, but it’s entertaining. And the characters may be tropes, but they have vibrant designs and fun chemistry. The girl who cross-dresses as a samurai and the guy who cross-dresses as a geisha are a cute ship. Also, props for gender equality in the Shinsengumi. ^^
